Movies

One of the most iconic James Bond films of all time is returning to television screens today - and fans of 007 won’t want to miss it.Goldfinger (1964), the third film in the James Bond franchise, stars Sean Connery in his third outing as the suave MI6 agent - widely credited with setting the template for what would become the classic Bond formula.Directed by Guy Hamilton, Goldfinger sees Bond facing off against the wealthy and villainous Auric Goldfinger, played by German actor Gert Frobe.The story begins with Bond investigating Goldfinger’s gold smuggling operation, but the plot thickens when he uncovers a plan to contaminate the United States’ gold reserves at Fort Knox.The scheme, codenamed “Operation Grand Slam”, is among the most memorable in Bond history.The film also introduced a...

A multi-award-winning blockbuster and a cultural phenomenon, Gladiator (2000) cemented Russell Crowe’s place among cinema’s leading men.With grand battle scenes, emotional plotlines and a powerful score, the film earned five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe. But behind its thunderous success lies one of the most dramatic and complicated productions of the early 2000s.One of the film’s most memorable performances - that of the Roman slave-trader Proximo, played by British actor Oliver Reed – was completed after the actor had already passed away.The production was already halfway through shooting when Reed suffered a fatal heart attack in May 1999, aged 61, in Valletta, Malta - and, att the time, he had just wrapped several major scenes and was due to film m...

This film is one that has been enjoyed by movie-lovers for over three decades and it has become a timeless classic loved by audiences old and new. The Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont, has stood the test of time and still receives much critical acclaim even 30 years later.The story follows the tale of Andy Dufresne who is imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover. The upstanding banker begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates – including an older prisoner named Red – for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.Starring Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne and Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd 'Red' ...

Sci-fi movies have a cult following but are also very popular among a vast audience and make up for a large proportion of the best movies ever made. From alien invasions to Guardians of the Galaxy, the genre has plenty to offer. Here, the Express looks at the best sci-fi movies of all time as ranked by Rolling Stone.Star Wars only comes in at number 9 on the ranking, while the rest of the list is filled with dystopian nightmares, space epics and femme fatale.10. The Matrix1999's sci-fi epic, The Matrix is a psychological mind-bender that set the tone for the 2000s. It's full of action sequences, political messaging and the premise follows Keanu Reevs as he plats anonymous hacker Thomas Anderson, who learns that he’s living in a high-functioning simulation that has been created by robots...

One of the 'best heist movies ever made' that was nominated for an Oscar is conisdered as 'Ben Affleck's best'.The Town is being rediscovered by fans after being added to Netflix for US users. However, UK based viewers can instead watch it via Amazon Prime service.First released in 2010, it was the second film directed by Affleck himself, while he also led a star-studded cast.Joining him on screen were Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall and Pete Postlethwaite.Affleck portrays one of four thieves who rob a bank and take the bank manager hostage.They eventually release her but one of them keeps an eye on her movements to ensure she doesn't decide to report to the police.He soon finds himself falling for her, reports the Mirror US.The film is based on the 2004 novel Prince...

When it comes to the classics, there is an ever-growing list of films that people will tell you are must watches. But, this can be quite overwhelming so I have taken it upon myself to select 7 films from Letterboxd's list of 'Movies everyone should watch at least once during their lifetime'. Here are the seven I think are the best introduction into the classics, and there are two by the same director.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)Michael Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind follows Joel Barish, played by Jim Carrey, who is heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory – so he decides to do the same. However, when he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he's made a mistake and still loves her, and it may be t...

Florence Pugh has named this 2013 romantic drama as her 'favourite film ever'.The actor's career has been blossoming since 2014 when she made her debut in The Falling alongside Maisie Williams.Since then, she has rapidly climbed the industry ladder and cemented herself as a pop culture icon.Roles in William Oldroyd's Lady Macbeth and the TV series The Little Drummer Girl for the BBC kept her in the spotlight, leading to a peak in her career when she starred in Ari Aster’s popular horror Midsommar in 2019.She was then cast in Greta Gerwig's Little Women alongside the likes of Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan, and then in Marvel blockbuster Black Widow alongside Scarlett Johansson.Speaking on her Marvel role, Pugh told Time Out: "I was really invested in the oddities of Ye...

Film lovers have been urged to turn their attention to a 1949 film noir that is constantly being called one of the greatest films of all time, with fans saying it still holds up today. The Third Man stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt, Orson Welles as Harry Lime, and Trevor Howard as Major Calloway.Set in post-Second World War, Allied-occupied Vienna, the film centres on American writer Holly Martins. He arrives in the city to accept a job with his friend Harry Lime, only to learn that he has died. Martins stays in Vienna to investigate Lime's death, becoming infatuated with Lime's girlfriend, Anna Schmidt. The black-and-white German expressionist-influenced cinematography, with its harsh lighting and Dutch angles, is a major feature of The Third Man. Combi...

A new war film has been receiving a great reception since its release last month, and it is now available to stream on Amazon Prime. Warfare is currently ranking as the 'best war film' on Amazon Prime right now and it has a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes, also.Warfare was written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland, and is based on the former’s experience serving in the Iraq War. It tells the story of a group of US Navy SEALs in real-time as they embark on a dangerous assignment through enemy territory. The film follows the soldier Mendoza (D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai) and his best friend Elliot Miller (Cosmo Jarvis), who were sent on a deadly mission to the city of Ramadi, where Miller was seriously injured while engaging in combat. The film is dedicated to Miller.The film's synopsis r...

Quentin Tarantino is known for his unique storytelling and stylised violence portrayed across his films, and whilst Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood make up some of his most iconic films, this war film by the renowned filmmaker is absolutely loved by fans who have rated it highly.Inglourious Basterds was released in 2009 and is set in Nazi-occupied France during World War 2. The plot involves a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S soldiers that coincides with a theatre owner's plans to do the same.The impressive film was nominated for a huge 173 awards and went on to win 134 of them, including at the Oscars. The drama-filled and action-packed film has 8.4 stars out of 10 on the Internet Movie Database, with reviews left by fans labelling it as the "...